Arizona law restricting emergency voting centers goes into the books
Apr 18, 2019, 12:00 PM
(AP File Photo)
(AP File Photo)
PHOENIX – Arizona lawmakers who wanted to tighten control over the use of emergency voting centers before Election Day got their wish Wednesday.
Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed the bill sponsored by party member Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita that restricted the use of those centers. The law also required voters prove they had an emergency that will keep them from the polls on Election Day.
SB 1090 also left the decision of where the emergency centers would be located up to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
The measure should ease GOP frustration with Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, who opened five emergency voting centers ahead of the 2018 election and didn’t regulate the reasons for voters’ emergencies.
Arizona allowed anyone to vote up to 5 p.m. on the Friday before an election. After that, they must have an “unforeseen circumstance.”
SB1090P by Anonymous i8dZUjqpo on Scribd
Fontes oversees elections in Arizona’s largest county.
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Ugenti-Rita also sponsored two other voting-related bills. Two weeks ago, her SB 1054 was signed into law. That one would end early-voting ballot signature problems.
SB 1046 would prohibit Arizona voters from dropping off mail-in ballots at polls on Election Day or during early voting.
Mail-in ballots were to be allowed only if they were actually mailed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
